Means or arrangement for supplying liquid fuel to internal-combustion engines



April `19, 1927- s L QLSEN MEANS OR ARRANGITMENT FOR' SUPPLYING LIQUID FUEL TO.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed OCT.. 5. 1924 2 ShSBtS-Shet l SR x Fig. 2.

E550/meg MEANS OR ARHANGEMENT. FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID FUEL TO INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed OGt. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES SIMON DOKK OLSEN, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

MEANS 0R ARRANGEMENT FOB SUPPLYING LIQUID FUEL f ENGINES.

T0 INTERNAL-COMBUSTION' Application ed October 3, 1924, Serial No. 741,512, and in Great Britain October 26, 1923.

This invention has reference to means or arrangements foi1 supplying liquid fuel to internal-combustion engines, and relates more particularly to apparatus for distributing the supply of fuel oil in multi-cylinder engines. t

In such engines the cylinders are frequently of small capacity and require only a comparatively minute quantity of oil to form each charge. Hence diiiiculty often arises in dealing with or regulating such cxtremely small quantities.

In addition to this, as each cylinder usually has its own separate pump or injection device, a great deal of complication is introduced into the general construction of the engine. Y

A feature of the present invention is that a single liquid-fuel pump can be made to serve for a large number of working cylinders through a distributor comprising reservoir chambers or accumulators containing a body of oil or liquid fuel under elastic pressure, which fuel is delivered to the en' gine through adjustable distributor valves.

A further feature of the invention is that the distributor valves are operated by camactuated levers having a variable throw, Whose action on the valve spindles can be easily varied from a maximum down to Zero as desired, whilst i'iexible diaphragms are interposed between these levers and the valves instead of the valvespindles passing through stutiing boxes. Y

According to the invention, the oil or liquid fuel is supplied by a pump of any suitable construction driven from'the engine shaft for instance, and from this is delivered to a series of distributors such as referred to. Each of these may 4contain' an annular or cuplilie cavity or reservoir in which a small body of air is imprisoned along with the oil-fuel so that the said air serves (on the principle ofa hydraulic accumulator) to give an elastic pressure on such oil. The distributing valves are operated by a variable-action arrangementas referred to, and control the flovv of the oil or liquid-fuel from the distributor reservoir to one or more fine nipples or almost capillary orices or nozzles through which it is spurted ito a tube or tubes leading to the corresponding cylinder or cylinders.

The said variable-action arrangement may at one end on an eccentric which can be easily turned by a regulating lever. At its other end it may be actuated by a cam on a timing shaft suitably driven by the engine. Thus, by turning the eccentric, the pivot or fulcrum ofthe lever can be so adjusted that the latter will either impart its maximum stroke (at each rocking or swinging movement) to the distributor rvalve to open it fully, or will only actuate it for a portion of its throw or movement, and open it partially, or even will barely touch the valve system, leaving the valve unopened, as may be desired. l

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into eiect reference will now be had by way of example to the accompanying drawings in Which:-

Fig. 1 is a transverse section on the line 1-1 partly in elevation as seenv from the right ofFig. 2, and i 1 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section througl the distributor chambers partly in front elevation, showing one construction of the improved fuel ysupply arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-'3 showing the fuel pump for feeding the distributor chambers.

According to the constructionillustrated, the arrangement comprises a frame or casting a having a pump b at one end and a set of valve boxes or distributor chambers c. The said casting is provided also at each end with a bracket or arm d and supports two shafts eand f, the former of which carries the timing cams g and serves also to drive the pump, whilst the other viz f) carries the eccentric or adjustable pivot supports or fulcrums k for the valve-operating levers z'.

The pump ,7) is Worked by an eccentric el on the shaft e by means of avoke-piece e2 in which the pump plunger b1 is secured. The inlet valve b2 of the pump is connected to the oil supply pipe b3 whilst the outletvalv'e b4 communicates with a passage a2 in the main frame or casting. An adjustable by-pass valve b5 is also provided sothatwhen the oil in the chambers c has reached Learner;

the desired pressure, any excess will be redicated, all the'pump has to do is to keep turned to the main reservoir. All the valves are spring loaded as shown, `and the said passage a leads to all the distributor chambers or reservoirs@1 of which there may be any desired number according to the number of cylinders' in the engine, although only two are shown in the drawings.

Each valve box or distributor chamber c has a depending conical block or cup j at its upper end. In the bottom of this cup is fitted centrally a thimble or guide c. The latter serves as a valve seat and above it is screwed-in a plug or yunion piece `Z to x it in position.

Countersunl into this thimblec is the conical head of the distributor valve m, whoseV stem or spindle n extends down through the said thimble or guide if: and rests against a iiexible transverse diaphragm 0 of steel or other suitable metal. The space i p immediately above `this diaphragm 0 forms the oil reservoir, the upper part or annular space g around the central block 'or cup -j forming an air-chamber or accumulator in which a cushion of air is compressed bythe oil, thus keeping the latter constantly under an elastic pressure.

The ed e of the diaphragm o may fit tight against i edge or flange inside the oil chamber, and be clamped against the same by a screw-capl r, a washer s being inserted if desired to ensure absolute tightness.

This diaphragm acts in effect somewhat 'like the flexible wall or base of an ordinary oil-tin, and, like this, may be bulged or con- .vex. In line with the valve spindle n, a short central stem t goes down from the diaphragm through the cap fr to rest on the corresponding lever z'. It serves to receive and transmit the upward or lifting pressure of the ,said lever for the purpose of opening the valve m to permit a charge of oil fuel to pass to the engine.

All the valve-levers z' for actuating the distributors, are pivoted on the same eccentric shaft h, so that by turning the latter by means cfa regulating handle f1, their effective stroke or action on the valve can be easily adjusted simultaneously to any extent desired. Their other ends, of course, rest on the timing cams g, with which they make contact by adjusting pins 1.

The top of the valve box, above the valve m is closed by the aforesaid screw-plug Z in which is a recess a which normally becomes full of oil. It contains a powerful spring v -for keepingthe valve closed and has one or more fine outlets or capillary orifices lw lead ing to the respective. pipes lw1 for suppl ing the corresponding working cylinders oty the engine. VThe 'latter may be arranged in pairs, those of each pair being opposed to one another and firing simultaneously.

With an arrangement such as above inthe valve boxes or distributor chambers 0 charged with oil or liquid fuel which may bc under about 50 lbs. pressure for instance, or any other pressure desired. When one of the levers z' momentarily raises its corresponding valve m, a small quantity of oil is forced up into the cavity u by the air pres -sure in the accumulator and the action of the diaphragm, and acorresponding quantity is ejected therefrom into the pipes leading to the cylinders. The duration and extent of the valve-opening depend on the setting of the timing cams and the adjustment of the eccentric pivots of the levers. The injection takes place preferably at a moment when there is little or no pressure in the cylinder.

In this way veiy minute and easily regulated chargcs of oil or liquid fuel, suitable for small capacityr cylinders, can be supplied to engines having four or more pairs oit' opposed cylinders byonly a single oil pump, which supplies the whole of the distributor valve chambers and their small reservoirs or accumulators. It will also be seen that this pump and the reservoirs and their associated parts form a single unit or structure ready to be fitted in the engine.

Obviously the above arrangement may be modified in various Ways in carrying the invention into practice without departing from the general nature thereof.

In conclusion I would state that I am aware than an arrangement has been proposed in which auxiliary pressure-reservoirs have been supplied from a single pump, but this has been through the intermediary of a main reservoir and a rotary valve, and such oil has then been forced into the en ine by springpistons in the reservoirs, so t at the latter acted in effect as a plurality of separate pumps, whilst the actual'discharge into the engine cylinders was regulated by altering the length of the piston stroke, not by varying the action of the injection valves. I make no claim to such an arrangement.

I claim n1. In a liquid fuel supply device for internal-combustion engines, the combination of an accumulator reservoir arrangement, a distributor valve and a restricted oil passage leading therefrom and separate from said valve, so that the fuel .supply depends on i the time the valve is open, and is independdepending on this time and not on the extent of the valve opening, substantially as described.

3. In means forsupplying liquid-fuel to internal-combustion engines, the combination of an accumulator reservoir, a distributing pipe, a plurality of distributor valves eachfprovided with a restricted capillary oil passage, the restriction being adjacent to the valve and between it and the distributing pipe, and means for independently adjusting each `ralve to regulate simply the time the corresponding passage is open., so that the fuel supply depends on this time and not on the extent of the valve opening, substantially as described.

4. ln means for supplying liquid-fuel to internal-combustion engines, the combination of an accumulator reservoir, a distributing pipe.. a lurality of distributor valves. each provided) with a restricted capillary oil as described.

5. In an arrangement for supplying liquid fuel to internal-combustion engines, the combination of distributor valves, pressure chambers constituting an accumulator arrangement and each serving as a Valve-box for one of said valves. a flexible diaphragm Forming one Wall 0f each chamber, and means for controlling the time the Valve is opened through said diaphragm, substantially as described.

In witness whereof il affix my signature.

SIMON Dd oLsEN.. 

